Ribbed metal lath



Nov. 23, 1926.

1,608,477 J. H. DEAN ET AL RIBBED METAL LATH Filed Feb. 25, 1926 F/GZ fnl/enfans m//EJ /7 DEAN GEORGE WBA/rsf? B/@MQ @Mem /4 7' TOR NE Y f3() adpicent panels extending in Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE,

JAMES DEAN, OF LUDINGTON, MICHIGAN, AND GEORGE W. BAKER, OF CICAGO, -ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOIBS TO NORTI-IWESTERN EXPANDED METAL COMPANY, OF CHI- CAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

RIBBED METAL LATE.

Application filed February 25, 1926. Serial No. 90,540.

This invention relates to improvements in shallow ribbed 'metal lath' formed of expanded metal and the obj ect of the invention 1s to provide lath so constructed that only 5 suficient plaster passes through its meshes to properly key the plaster to the lath, thereby saving the excess plaster that, With lath now in use, passes through the meshes and is Wasted.

The invention consists generally in constructions and combinations hereinafter described and particularly pointed out 1n the claims.

In theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this speciication- Figure l is a plan view of a metal sheet roperly ribbed and. slitted to produce the ath constituting our invention. Figure 2 is a similar View showing the sheet expanded to form our improved lath.

Figure 3 is a section through the lath shown in Figure 2, the section being taken on the line 3 3, and showing also the lath nailed in position on the building studding or joist and showing the position of the plaster when applied thereto.

In the drawings 2 represents a metal vsheet provided with the longitudinal ribs 3 3 and with diagonal slits 4 and 5, the slits in the opposite directions, as indicated in Figure 1.

By suitable means, not necessary to describe herein, the slitted sheet of Figure 1 is expanded to produce strands 6 and 7 the numeral 6 being used to designate the strands that are connected to the edges of the unslitted portions of the sheets and the numeral 7 being used to indicatethe interme diate strands. The strands on one side of 40 a rib all extend in the opposite direction from the strands on the other side osuch `rib, such an'arrangement necessarily resulting from the described arrangement of the slits.

In the expanding operation the strands are turned atan angle to the plane of the slit-ted sheet substantially in the manner described in our application for Letters Patent filed March 1,1926, Ser. No. 91,564, the expansion being eli'ected without stretching the strands. y After being thus expanded, the strands that are connected to the unslitted portions of the sheet are rolled down flat for a distance of about one-half their lengthV so as to lie in the same plane as the unslitted portions of the sheet at each side of the ribs 3, as indicated bythe shading lines on Figure 2 of the drawing.

The bonds 8 formed bythe intersecting strands 6, 7 are also by the same operation rolled down so as-to stand at a slight angle to the unslitted portions of the sheet and the fiat portions of the strands hereinbefore ree ferred to, as shown in Figure 3, and sucslsi) angle of inclination being substantially le than that required toeifect the expansion of V the panels. The portions of the strands that are between the said horizontal portions and the bonds gradually change from the fiat plane of the unslitted portions of the sheet Y to the incline of the strand intersections or bonds.

In the finished lath the metalat each side of the ribs is flat or in the original lane of the sheet; the bonds, and the stran s forming the center diamonds or meshes, stand .at a slight angle thereto while the strands vthat connect the bonds to the unslitted portions of the sheet, at each side of the ribs, are fiat, or in the plane of such unslitted portion, for about one-half their length and thengradually change their-angle until it is the same as the angle of the bonds.

Portions of the surface of the lath thus formed are at as will be seen, while the remaining portions are at a slight angle only to the flat portions.

In spreading plaster over lath, the plasterer customarily sweeps his trowel, with its load of soft plaster, across the lath. The surfaces of the nearly flat strands and bonds of the lath herein described will permit onl a small portion of the plaster to pass through7 the meshes, as indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings. i

As the lstrands and bonds in the expanded metal lath commonly used stand substantially on edge, the thin edges of the metal are presented to the pressure of the trowel as the plaster is swept over` the surface of the lath, and an excessive amount of plaster passes through the meshes to the back of the lath. This waste of plaster is obviated by the use ot our lath in which only suliicient plaster passes between the meshes to properly key or lock the plaster to the lath.

4 Vlie claim as our invention:

-l. A lath comprising an expanded metal sheet having alseries ot' parallel unslitted sections extending longitudinally of the sheet with longitudinally extending ribs formed centrally in said unslitted sections and a plurality of rows ot diagonally extending di'amond shaped meshes arranged between each pair of unslitted sections and formed of diagonal and longitudinal strands connected by integral bonds, the diagonal mesh forming strands that merge with the unslitted sections being at their connected ends in the same plane with the unslitted metal and the bonds` and intermediate strands being inclined to the plane of the sheet at an angle substantially less than that required to effect the expansion of the panels.

2. A lath comprising an expanded metal sheet having a series of parallel unslitted sections extending longitudinally of the sheet with longitudinally extending ribs formed centrally in said unslitted sections and a plurality of rows of vdiagonally extending diamond shaped meshes' arranged between each pair of unslitted sections and formed of diagonal and longitudinal strands connected by integral bonds, the diagonal mesh forming strands that merge with the unslitted sections being at their connected ends in the same plane with the unslitted metal and the iiat surfaces of the bonds and intermediate strands being approximately parallel thereto.

3. A lath comprising an expandedmetal sheet having a series of parallel unslitted sections extending longitudinally of the sheet with longitudinally extending ribs formed centrally in said unslitted sec-tions and a plurality of rows of diagonally extending diamond shaped meshes arranged between each pair of unslitted sections and formed of diagonal and longitudinal strands connected by integral bonds, the diagonal mesh forming strands that merge with the unslitted sections lying` to a point substantially midway of their length. in the same plane with the unslitted sections ot the sheet.

4. A lath comprising la metal sheet havtending longitudinally of the .sheet with longitudinally extending ribs formed cen-l trally in 'said unslitted sections and rows of diamond shaped meshesarranged between each pair of unslitted sections, the mesh forming strands that merge with the unslitted sections lying, to a point substantially midway of their length, in the same plane with the unslitted sections of the sheet and thence extending at a gradually changing angle, to, and merging with, the strand connecting-bonds.

5. A lath comprising a metal sheet having a series of parallel'unslitted sections extending longitudinally of the sheet with longitudinally extending ribs formed centrally in said unslitted sections and rows of diamond shaped meshes arranged between each pair ot' unslitted sections, the mesh forming strands that merge with the unslitted sections lying, to a point substantially midway ot their length, in the same plane with the unslitted sections of the sheet, and thence extending, at a gradually changing angle, to, and merging with, the strand connecting bonds, and each bond and intermediatey strand being angularly disposed.

6. A lath comprising a metal sheet having a series of parallel unslitted sections extending longitudinally of'the sheet with longitudinally extending ribs formed centrally in said unslitted sections and rows of diamond shaped meshes arranged between each pairof unslitted sections, the mesh forming strands that merge with the unslitted sections lying, to a point substantially midway of their` length, 1n the same .plane mesh-forming strands and bonds being inclined to the plane of the sheet at an angle substantially lessthan that required to effeet the expansion of the panels, substantially as described.

8. An expanded sheet metal lath comprising spaced, unexpanded, longitudinal strips having their central portions formed into longitudinal ribs and their edge portions lyingI in a common plane and expanded panels between ,the strips each having rows of diagonally arranged` diamond meshes formed of non-stretched, diagonal and longitudinal strands united at their intel'- sections by integral bonds, the strands and bonds being inclined to the plane of the sheet at an angle substantially less than that required to 'effect the expansion of the panels and the end portions of the diagonal strands gradually merging into the common In Witness whereof we have hereunto set.

our hands this 11th day of February, 1926.

JAMES,7 H. DEAN. GEO. W. BAKER. 

